Good morning, and welcome to the Global Situation Report for Friday, 09 August 2024.
- AWAITING ISRAEL-IRAN EXCHANGE?: U.S. Central Command’s (CENTCOM) General Michael Kurilla made his second trip to Israel in a week to discuss the security situation and to coordinate a defense plan with General Herzi Halevi, chief of the staff for the Israeli Defense Force.
- U.S. officials warned earlier this week that Iran is preparing rocket launchers for a possible attack on Israel.
- Canada evacuated its embassy families out of Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon for fear of a wider war. Staff remain in place and working.
- Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa ordered his Vice President and Ambassador to Israel, Veronica Abad, to move to the embassy in Turkey for her safety. He also ordered the foreign ministry to ensure the safety of ambassadorial personnel in Israel.
- CHINA EXPANDS BIONIC DRONE PRODUCTION: China unveiled its first whale shark drone this week. The drone is five meters long, about the size of a juvenile, contains an array of sensors, including SONAR, and can be remote controlled or use the BeiDou positioning system.
- The company producing them says their bionic product line includes Yangtze finless porpoises, killer whales, and dolphins.
- The manta rays, finless porpoises, and whale sharks are endangered species. The dolphin and killer whales have a globe-spanning habitat.
Why It Matters: Adding to the bird drones unveiled by the People’s Armed Police last week, animals are likely to be targeted in a potential war with China since they are known to be in use by the armed forces. China is likely prioritizing animals that are protected to reduce the willingness to destroy the drones and force adversaries to positively identify their targets. – J.V.
- Global Rollup
- Australia and Canada’s Defence Ministers released a joint statement announcing increased integration between common platforms such as the F-35, P-8, and future Type 26 Frigate, as well as additional cyberspace integration under the Five Eyes agreements. They also announced Canada will participate in two upcoming exercises. All of this is explicitly because of China’s actions in the South China Sea.
- Mexico invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to President-elect Claudia Sheinbaum’s inauguration on 01 October. A United States State Department official condemned the move while speaking anonymously. The Ukrainian embassy to Mexico asked the Mexican government to arrest Putin under the International Criminal Court warrant. Mexico ratified ICC jurisdiction in 2006, and the specific article Putin is charged under in January 2023. AMLO announced last night that Mexico would not arrest Putin.
- Norway is set to join the United Kingdom’s Carrier Strike Group seven-month deployment to Japan and the Indo-Pacific next year.
- NATO announced plans to open its first liaison office in Amman, Jordan, next year.
- French General Bertrand Toujouse warned Western officials that in the event of a Russian attack or invasion into Europe, NATO countries will have difficulties deploying troops and equipment across Europe’s many borders due to “administration red tape” and customs regulations. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius maintains that Russia could launch an invasion by 2029, although some European intelligence agencies believe that date is sooner.
THAT’S A WRAP: This does it for today’s edition. Thank you for reading. If you know folks who would also like to receive this email, would you please forward it to them? We appreciate you spreading the word. – M.S.